Norwood Public Schools to Host Parent Workshops During Mental Health Awareness Month

NORWOOD — Superintendent David Thomson is pleased to share that Norwood Public Schools will be hosting parent workshops throughout the month of May in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month.

Mental Health Awareness Month, observed in May, aims to bring awareness to the importance of mental health, fight stigma, provide support and advocate for policies that support millions affected by mental illness. 

All workshops will be offered to parents via Zoom and will start at 6:30 p.m. Zoom links will be shared via Parent Square.

Workshops will focus on important mental health issues and will feature a guest appearance by Ribas Associates and Publications Department Head for Special Education Jane Hardin. Hardin is also the co-author of two books, “Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) in the Classroom,” and “Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) in the Home.”

Workshop dates and descriptions are as follows:

Tuesday, May 9, Anxiety and Trauma: School and community mass shootings, COVID-19, war in Europe, bullying and an increase in violent crime are causing high levels of stress and trauma for children, adolescents and parents/guardians. These conditions put great stress on families. In this workshop, attendees will gain strategies and resources to help them and their children cope during challenging times.  

Tuesday, May 23, Social-Emotional Learning in the Home: Parents and guardians will learn strategies to foster self-management, self-awareness, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making in their school-aged children. The program is based on Hardin’s book “Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) in the Home.” 

Wednesday, May 31, Impact of Social Media on Anxiety in Children and Adolescents: During this workshop, parents and guardians will learn about some of the most widely used social media platforms and their influence on adolescents’ levels of anxiety and depression.

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